ADAM DREWNOWSKI, PhD, ELECTED MEMBER OF THE FRENCH ACADEMY OF AGRICULTURE
Hot off the press! Editorial Board Adam Drewnowski of the University of Washington has just been elected to the Academie d'Agriculture de France! The Academie began as the Societe Royale d'Agriculture de la Generalite de Paris and was established by Louis XV in 1761. While Paris is under lockdown because of COVID, Adam will not get to travel to Paris to receive the award and attend meetings. Instead, he will have to do everything virtually from Seattle. He is hoping that in addition to discussing the functioning of food systems, the Academie will study the wine-producing regions. If so, we expect to sample the products at our next Nutrition Today Editorial Board meeting. Congratulations, Adam!
STELLA VOLPE, PhD, RD, JOINS VIRGINIA TECH AS HEAD OF ITS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN NUTRITION, FOODS, AND EXERCISE
Congratulations to Editorial Board member Stella Volpe, PhD, RD, who was appointed head of the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech. Volpe comes to Virginia Tech from Drexel University, where she had served as chair of the Department of Nutrition Sciences for almost 10 years. Under her leadership, the department became nationally known for its strong teaching and service programs, as well as its overarching research on chronic disease prevention through nutrition, food safety, and exercise studies. Volpe also created Drexel's Center for Nutrition & Performance and developed the Nutritional Biochemistry Laboratory, which was granted university approval owing to her efforts, and eventually became part of the Human Performance and Bionutrition Core. During her tenure at Drexel, Volpe maintained an active research program that brought in more than $15 million from federal and foundation grants. She has published more than 130 peer-reviewed publications, 3 books, and a number of book chapters.
She currently examines obesity and diabetes prevention in her research using traditional interventions, mineral supplementation, and environmental alterations that result in greater physical activity and healthy eating. She also researches sports nutrition. In 2014, she began a study on recreational and professional athletes of all levels, which has led to the creation of a unique database that still provides data for student research. Volpe plans to continue these studies at Virginia Tech.
As an active member of the American College of Sports Medicine, Volpe has served as vice president and as associate editor of their Health and Fitness Journal and Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. She is currently editor-in-chief of Current Nutrition Reports and past chair of the Science Board of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. In addition to her academic career, Volpe participates in a variety of sports and fitness activities.
DAVID KLURFELD, PhD, RETIRES FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
One of the most distinguished and productive scientists in the federal government, David Klurfeld, retired from the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Agricultural Research Service at the end of 2020. At USDA he served as National Program Leader in Human Nutrition. Well known for his research on atherosclerosis, during his time in the federal government, he worked to coordinate research efforts in human nutrition and worked with others at USDA and US Department of Health and Human Services to support the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Known for his brilliant and incisive mind; his insistence on objective, evidence-based science and policy; and scrupulous sense of fairness, he will be sorely missed. He plans to continue his nutrition involvement in the future as well as take on some projects of personal interest. Best wishes and thank you for your distinguished federal service, David!
DRS STALLINGS, CHEY AND ELLINGSON AWARDED HONORARY ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS MEMBERSHIP
Congratulations to Editorial Board member Virginia Stallings, MD, and William D. Chey, MD, and Larry K. Ellingson, who were granted honorary membership by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for their distinguished contributions to the field of nutrition and dietetics. Stalling's award recognizes her distinguished and impactful contributions to nutrition knowledge, leading and supporting research dedicated to understanding the influence of body composition and energy expenditure on the growth and nutritional requirements of children with chronic diseases. Chey's award honors his role in advancing clinical and translational research addressing the benefit of diet and behavioral strategies for patients with disorders of the gut-brain interaction. Ellingson's longstanding association with the Academy and support of RDNs (unusual for someone who is a pharmacist by profession!) led to the initiation of a collaboration between Eli Lilly & Company and the Academy's Diabetes Dietetic Practice Group to collaborate on diabetes projects. Congratulations to all three on these well-deserved honors!
FAMILIAR FACES NOW ON THE FOUNDATION FOR FOOD & AGRICULTURE RESEARCH BOARD
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research's (FFAR) Board of Directors confirmed officer appointments during the October 2020 Board Meeting. Dr Kathryn Boor, dean and vice provost of graduate education at Cornell University, was reelected to serve another term as vice chair. Former Corporate Vice President of Cargill, Dr Chris Mallett was confirmed to serve another term as treasurer. Dr Mark E. Keenum, president of Mississippi State University, will remain as FFAR Board Chair. Dr Doug Buhler, director of AgBioResearch and assistant vice president for research and innovation at Michigan State University, was newly elected to serve as secretary. Buhler is taking over for Dr Mike Ladisch, distinguished professor at Purdue University and director of the Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering, who stepped down as an officer but remains a dedicated member of the FFAR Board of Directors.
PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED
Book on Nutrition Among Vulnerable Populations
Food insecurity and low resources continue to be a burden influencing the health, well-being, growth, and development of millions of US children and adults. Groups and individuals experiencing restrained access include the elderly, those experiencing mental illness, veterans, certain race/ethnic groups, adolescents, young women with children, those living in rural areas, and those using food pantries, among others. Many of these groups, both hidden and visible, have rates of food insecurity above the national average that are resistant to national improvements in food security. However, attention to these subsets of the population is imperative to improve US health and nutrition and to reduce rates of chronic disease. Very little is known about the nutritional status and dietary intake in these low-resource and food insecure groups, and dietary barriers are not understood. Creating interventions that improve food security and improve dietary intake, however, are dependent on this information. To begin to fill this gap, a Special Issue on "Nutrition Among Vulnerable Populations" published selected papers quantifying dietary intake, nutritional status, access to food and food insecurity, barriers to healthful foods and food security, and environmental influences experienced by vulnerable groups with a high prevalence of food insecurity. To read a free online copy, go to http://www.mdpi.com/books/pdfview/book/3142.
Advancing Nutrition and Food Science: 80th Anniversary of the Food and Nutrition Board: Proceedings of a Symposium
In honor of its 80 years of service to the nation, the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) convened a public symposium to review the origin and history, policy influence, and future directions of the FNB. This publication summarizes the presentations of the event. The FNB of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine was convened in 1940 in response to a request from the US National Defense Advisory Commission to the National Academy of Sciences for aid in studying problems of nutrition in the United States. Today, the FNB is the focal point for activities concerned with food, nutrition, and food safety, and their roles in health maintenance and disease prevention and continued its growth and expanded its reach both domestically and internationally, providing visionary leadership across a range of nutrition and food science issues toward the improvement of human health. To access a free download, go to https://www.nap.edu/read/25864/chapter/2.
CALENDAR
March 20-23, 2021
American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Virtual Nutrition Science & Practice Virtual Conference
http://www.nutritioncare.org
March 29-31, 2021
American Society of Preventive Oncology 45th Annual Meeting
Tucson, Arizona
https://aspo.org
May 27-30, 2021
American Diabetes Association 35th Annual Clinical Conference on Diabetes
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
https://professional.diabetes.org
May 27-30, 2021
American Society for Nutrition Virtual Meeting
https://nutrition.org/join-us-online
June 7-10, 2021